Washington Nationals: Three Reasons For Optimism Despite The Slow Start

Has Washington finally started to heat up?

For the third straight year, Washington has fallen flat on its face to start the season. But despite being last in the NL East at 20-23 and 2.5 games back of the first-place Mets, the Nationals have recently started to show signs of life. After dropping three of the four to the Chicago Cubs, the Nats bounced back by sweeping the Baltimore Orioles.

Yes, the O’s are no world beaters, but Washington has to take advantage of weaker competition, and that they did. Tested early and often in the three-game series, the Nats found themselves in an early hole Saturday, down 6-1 before the offense came roaring alive. Except for Jon Lester, every member of the starting lineup recorded a hit. Unsurprisingly, Washington went on to win in a slugfest, 12-9.

One of the biggest struggles for the team this season has been falling behind. Once the Nats give up the lead, that is usually the nail in the coffin. So it was a breath of fresh air when Washington was able to come from behind and win on both Saturday and Sunday.

Despite still having a -12 run differential, the offense has finally started to look alive. Known for being dreadful with runners in scoring position (RISP), Washington was 14 for 39 in such opportunities.

Over the next three weeks, the team will be facing an uphill battle, encountering multiple divisional foes in addition to some of the top teams in the league. However, here are three reasons to believe the Nats are finally turning their season around.